1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to computers and to telecommunications and, more particularly, to an automated cell site design and vendor selection tool to optimize cell site design and planning and to minimize associated costs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cellular Mobile Radiotelecommunications (CMR) has experienced explosive growth, and more growth is planned as access and numerous communication devices improve. In order to meet the demands of a rapidly growing market, mobile service providers must be able to design and put into service one or more cell sites within a very demanding time frame while also controlling construction and related service costs. The cost for construction of a cell site is very expensive, ranging from $80,000 to $500,000 or more. While this very expensive cost is commonplace, inefficient cell site planning and flawed bidding techniques nevertheless continue to be used. For example, the “norm” in the industry is to submit a proposed cell site design to three vendors to bid on the work, and usually the same three vendors bid on successive work. This lends itself to collusion and does not offer opportunities for “new blood.”
There are three common tower designs used for erection of a cell site—monopole towers, self-supporting towers (also known as free-standing or “lattice” towers), and guyed towers. Monopole towers are constructed of tapered hollow tubes that symmetrically fit together and are stacked one on top of the other. Self-support towers are three- or four-sided structures that are constructed of steel cross-arm sections that increase in face width as they approach the ground like an elongated pyramid. Guyed towers are constructed of identical triangular steel cross arms of constant face width, usually in 20-foot sections, that are supported or “guyed” by tensioned support cables held in place by concrete anchors under and/or on the ground. The type of tower that is selected for a cell base station as well as the type of foundation to support the tower depends on a variety of factors, such as structural requirements, environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed, ice, etc.), tower height, governmental regulations, and company policies for the selected location. Typically, a cell site designer must have the necessary expertise and knowledge to select the tower design and construction (referred to herein as a “cell site plan.”). Accordingly, the cell site designer needs to have familiarity with the location and the average weather conditions. In addition, the cell site designer needs to minimize costs associated with the cell site plan. As a standard practice, the costs are managed by requesting various vendors to bid on the scope of work defined in the cell site plan, and, then comparing and selecting a competitive bid. However, this approach depends upon participation of multiple vendors as well as requires significant, upfront analytical cell site design work to prepare the cell site plan.
There is, accordingly, a need in the art for improved systems and methods of cell site planning, a need for improved cell site design, and a need for improved vendor selection that minimizes and/or manages cell site construction costs.